


Tattered

by NikaylaSarae



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst/Comfort, Blood, Bombs, Explosions, Fighting, Guns, Knives/Swords, Mental Illness, PTSD, War, death talk, injuries, past toxic relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaylaSarae/pseuds/NikaylaSarae
Summary: Left to fend for himself, Roman can’t trust anyone…right?
Comments: 9
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ask: _Make it sad- he has lost everything, everyone (he got kicked from his previous bfs house for being too eccentric and they shredded it because, "He needs to grow up.") He's trying to get back to normal (his normal, he's not crazy, he's not!) And ends up having a breakdown. Cue a few days later and he's starving, completely slipped into a delusion, being found by Patton or Logan- (Roman is mentally ill- diagnosed, but his previous boyfriend had, "Those aren't real. Grow up." Mentality._
> 
> Cross-posted with minor edits from my tumblr account @stillebesat.

Betrayed from every side. 

Not only were his foes his enemies, but his friends had become his foes. 

His loved ones turning their backs just when he was certain they would never---Roman shivered, slipping out of the cave - _dumpster_ \- into the rain with a bolt of stained fabric in his arms that he could use to create a new disguise, his current tunic, with it’s thin and torn sleeves, doing little to protect him from the fury of the Hurricane _-rain storm-_ the Dragon Witch had sent to test him.

All a Test. 

No one was trustworthy.

Everyone was against him. 

Everyone.

_Everyone_? 

Roman flinched, darting - _stumbling-_ into the nearest crevice - _alleyway-_ as twin torches roared past him along the ravine, hunting for his blood, sent by the Dragon Witch to bring back his head. 

“Never.” He growled out, holding his treasured cloth in one arm while he edged along the dark path, feeling along the craggy way to the next cave in search of any sustenance he could find since the first hadn’t contained any of the travel rations he desperately needed.

_So hungry._ Famine had struck the entire province due to the Manticore Chimera’s reign in this part of his kingdom.

Roman hunched his shoulders as a door slammed in the distance. 

A Prince should be welcomed everywhere.

Yet all had fallen under the same cursed spell.

Thrown out.

Unwelcome.

A Prince to no one.

_“Again with the stupid Prince thing, Roman? Grow up.”_

Roman flinched, breath hitching in his throat as the wind picked up, tearing at his ragged shirt. “I am a Prince.” He whispered, brushing his dripping hair out of his eyes. “Ruler of--”

“ _Idiocy. It was cute in the beginning, but now? Dude. Some days I can’t believe you actually fought in the war.”_

**_Gunshots._ **

**_Dust._ **

**_An Explosion._ **

**_“ROMAN GET DOWN!”_ **

He ducked, dropping the bolt of cloth, as a long piercing whistle of the Dragon Witch’s roar sounded over head. He twisted, hands scrambling for his rifle-- _no the sword! The sword would be better--gah!_ Roman grabbed at the helmet that was on far too tight on his head. Too tight! Tootighttootight He couldn’t brea--

**“** **_The enemy has us surrounded.”_ **

_No._ “DRAGON WITCH!” Roman screamed, throwing a punch into the rock wall his knuckles splitting as they crashed into the red brick stone.

Not that--anything but--but--

**_Bright blue eyes._ **

**_“You’ll get us through this Captain.”_ **

No, not a captain. He was a Prince!

**_“What do we do now, sir?”_ **

**_Sweaty hands on his rifle._ **

**_Blood flowing from his shoulder._ **

**_Communications. Down._ **

**_Surrounded._ **

Roman fell to his knees, fingernails digging into his scalp as he tried to remove the helmet. Tried to breathe. To--to save--save---

“ _This pathetic make-believe has to stop. You’re just doing it for the attention and I’m tired of it Rameno.”_

He shuddered. _Don’t call me that!_ “I’m _not--”_ He was perfectly NORMAL!

_“Stop being so weird. It’s creeping out everyone. You think they like it when you randomly burst into song?”_

But songs hel--helped the the--

**BANG. BANG. BANG.**

“I--I’m wishing” Roman whispered, his voice shaking as he clawed his way to his feet, leaning heavily against the rocky crag - _brick wall-_ “F-for the-the one I-I lo-love...” 

To find me.

_“True love? That’s for fairytales, Rameno and I’m tired of dealing with make-believe.”_

**“** **_Captain!”_ **

**_BANG. BANG. BANG._ **

**_All the blood._ **

**_Red spreading across the greys and browns._ **

**_Glazed eyes._ **

**_Staring._ **

**_Accusing._ **

Roman violently shook his head. _Get away get away get away. Gotta save. Gotta have---_ “To-To find me.” The Dragon Witch wouldn’t win. He would find his sword. Find a way to defeat her and then the manticore---

“Captain Roman?” A voice echoed down the ravine, achingly familiar. 

_Sing sweet nightingale. Oh si~i~ing._

A trap.

“Roman, kiddo, that _is_ you right?” 

_He wasn’t a child!_

Roman whirled, hands raised defensively to the rain fogged figure standing nearby. 

_Moving closer._

The Dragon Witch couldn’t have found him so soon! He’d been covering his tracks--

“ ** _They tapped our communications.”_ **

**Heart sinking. “We were set up.” And he’d been a fool to trust--**

“Captain?” 

A cool scaly grey hand landed lightly on his shoulder. “Cap--”

**_BANG._ **

**Agony. Burning. Pain.**

_The Dragon Witch had found him. Was attacking him! He was doomed--_

Roman screamed and surged forward, slamming the figure against the wall. “NO!!” He hissed as the other grunted. “You cannot win, Dragon Witch!” Not again. He was Prince of this land and she Would. Not. WIN! 

One calloused hand grabbed at his wrist, the clawed- _metal-_ one resting on top, the tips only lightly digging into his skin. “Cap--” The figure whispered, black frames wrapping around his dark brown _-bright blue they’re blue!-_ eyes in a feeble disguise. But Roman knew those brown eyes. Knew the glare of the Dragon Witch! 

“THAT IS PRINCE TO YOU, DRAGON WITCH!” He roared.

**“What do we do, Captain?” They all looked to him, eyes filled with hope, their hands ready on their weapons.**

“Ro--I’m not--Not the Drag--”

Roman bared his teeth. “LIAR.” He hissed, slipping one hand to his boot-- _sneaker-_ withdrawing his sword- _broken butterknife_ \- from its hiding place. He wouldn’t be tricked again.

**_Surrounded._ **

**_Trapped._ **

**_He took a breath, offering them a smile he didn’t feel. “We fight.” He said, leaning in to the others as he adjusted his grip on his rifle. “Follow my lead, we’ll get out.”_ **

**_Blood._ **

**_Death._ **

**_So. Much. Red._ **

He used to love that color. 

He raised the knife. Once more that color would fill his vision. But this time. 

This. Time.

_The Dragon Witch would die._

“Roman!” The figure cried, feet kicking uselessly in the air. “Please, It’s Me! Pat--” 

The blade fell. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Prince Roman!” Shrieked the Dragon Witch, his mismatched hands slipping down Roman’s arms in a foolhardy attempt to stop him from carving out his dark-scaled heart. 

Roman froze, the tip of his sword- _ butterknife- _ already piercing the Dragon Witch’s flesh, crimson blood seeping around the edges like a flower in bloom.

_ Prince.  _

The title echoed in his ears as his fingers went white on the handle.

No one had called him Prince since the curse had fallen upon the land. 

_ “Get out, Rameno! LEAVE before I call the police to report a madman threatening me!”  _

Roman looked up, again meeting those brown- _ no they were blue! Familiar blue!-  _ eyes. “You know me?” He breathed, leaning in nose to nose with the Dragon Wit-- _ man!- _ man trapped at his mercy. 

A haggard sob tore from the man’s throat as he frantically nodded, his normal hand brushing the fingers holding the swor- _ butterknife- _ **_._ ** “Yes! W-we fought--quested together four years ago, Pri-Prince Roman. Side by side. It’s me, Patton!” Wide blue eyes stared into his, silently pleading. “Sir Patton!” 

_ Sir Patton.  _

Roman stiffened, for the first time truly taking in the face confronting him.

_ No _ .

Yet through the shadows and rain...the shape of the jaw, the curve of his nose, those glasses framing perfect blue eyes. So familiar. So achingly familiar.

**_Captain!_ **

_ Blue eyes. _

**_“Look out!” His second called, shoving him out of the way as a grenade exploded at their feet._ **

_ Four years. _

_ Patton. _

It couldn’t be.

His lips drew back in a snarl as he pressed the knife further in, eliciting a shriek from the man. “NO!” 

_ Four years ago had been the war _ \---NO. NO! The Dragon Witch couldn’t be this cruel to him, coming to him in the visage of a dead man. “It’s not---you’re---NOT YOU!” 

**_BANG! BANG!_ **

_ So full of trust. _

**_“Patton!” Roman screamed, fighting against the rubble, clawing with his hands at the hot desert sand._ **

The man offered him a shaky smile as his grey scaled hand- _ no it’s made of metal-  _ armor? - _ No, not durable enough _ ... _ a fake hand.-  _ Unfamiliar armor for a knight, moved, fingers twitching into a familiar salute.

_ Their salute. _

“I swear, My Prince, on my sword and shield, it’s me. Truly, I’m here.” 

_ Blue eyes so full of laughter. _

**_Glazed eyes. Unblinking. Staring._ **

_ Now filled with terror.  _

Roman drew in a ragged breath, violently shaking his head. “You  _ died _ .” He’d seen it. 

**_Pieces. Pieces everywhere._**   
Sir Patton had died at the hands of the Dragon Witch. 

**_BOOM!_ **

“No, I  _ survived _ ! Barely. I was captured by the enemy after--.” The man--Patton rested his normal hand  _ -so warm. Alive-  _ on Roman’s, putting gentle pressure on the fingers clinging to the handle of his blade. “But I was released. I’m  _ alive _ , Roman. This I swear.”

**_“I’m sorry, Captain.” The medic checked his clipboard. “You were the only survivor.”_ **

_ Alive.  _

Patton was alive. 

_ A trick.  _

_ “Come on, Rameno, you know fairy tale endings don’t happen in real life. Grow up!”  _

“Ro. Please.”

Roman drew the knife out, tip stained red. He held it at the ready, though with how hard his hand was shaking, he didn’t know if he’d hit the man before him or the wall. “ _ Prove it _ !” His voice cracked as he leaned in, staring into those brow-- _ BLUE!--  _ eyes. “Prove it! _ ”  _

_ “You’re crazy! Get out! I can’t handle your stupid make-believe anymore.”  _

The man--Patton drew in a breath, dropping the metal hand to his side, bright blue eyes never leaving Roman’s. “Some--” 

_ “--Body once told you, the world is gonna rule you, Rameno, you ain’t the sharpest tool--”  _

Roman tensed, shoulders nearly touching his ears, waiting for the horrible song to play out before him like it had nearly every day he’d been with--. 

“--day my prince will come.” The words were soft. Shaky. 

His knees nearly buckled. That wasn’t how- _ -it was _ how Roman had always wanted it--but...but his partner had never---

Patton softly smiled, eyes shining with tears. “Someday we’ll meet again, and away to our castle we’ll go.” 

_ It couldn’t be. _

It was.

The butterknife clattered to the ground as he let go of Patton, taking a step back, heart pounding in his throat. “To--to be happy forever I know.” He sang in a hoarse whisper, fighting to clear his sight to truly  _ see  _ who was before him, while Patton...dear, dear Patton continued to sing  _ their  _ song. 

“Someday when my dreams come true.” Patton finished, the sweet melody lingering in the rain as he reached out his human hand in a silent invitation, seemingly unfazed by the crimson flower staining his shirt. 

Roman licked his lips, trembling as he tilted his head into Patton’s palm, his eyes half closing as he soaked in the familiarity of it all. 

Patton. His one grounding source. His true love. 

_ Alive.  _

“Dreams do come true, Roman.” Patton whispered, stroking his cheek.

_ “They never come true, Rameno! Snap out of it! It’s. Not. REAL!” _

A whimper left his throat. But he  _ wanted _ this to be real. 

_ Please be real.  _

Patton leaned in, bright,  _ loving,  _ blue eyes shining with tears. “Never stop believing that, okay, my Prince?” 

_ Believe. _

Patton was alive. 

He was here.

Believe.

Roman crumpled into Patton’s chest with a loud sob, barely comprehending the gentle “I’m heres” and “I got yous” being whispered in his ear as Patton lowered them to the muddy pavement, wrapping his arms around Roman in a much needed hug.


End file.
